What I didn't like about my childhood ... the theme for this week in the Project Fifty-2 series.
Childhood memories are invariably romanticized and rose-hued, especially as we get older. It is the good times that always come to the fore when someone says 'childhood' to me.
But deeper thought (and reading others' posts) brought out quite a few things that I did not like back then. School, for starters. When I was in Kindergarten, my mother had to literally drag me kicking and screaming to school, which was just a block away from our house back then. Every single school day, for two years. My poor Mom! The funny thing was when I met someone recently who used to reside on the same street and the only thing he remembers about me - all that rona, dhona, screaming and screeching! He said I was an alarm clock of sorts for him! :) My parents wisened up and enrolled me in the same school as my elder sister from first grade onwards and all was well since then, at least where packing me off to school was concerned!
I was a tall, thin, gawky, awkward looking kid. I never thought myself ugly though, until I noticed that an uncle of mine who would call my sister, cousins and all my friends "beautiful" or "sweetheart" but just ignore me. It bothered me but I managed to let it slide off me in a few days. It all seems so shallow now.
I had very short hair until 9th standard and I hated it. For the most part, it was a "boy cut" or a bob. My mom would not allow me to grow my hair long. I used to be active in sports and would travel to meets and stuff, so she thought it would be easier to manage. I get it now but since then, I've always worn my hair long, at least shoulder length. I don't want to ever cut my hair that short, I think!
I was never the teacher's pet types. I did pretty well in school but I never really connected much with most teachers. We were 40-50 in a class, so perhaps most did not. I especially remember this teacher from 1st grade, who was not nice at all. She didn't single me out but it did feel that way back then. She always had a ruler in hand and "show me your knuckles" seemed to be her catchphrase. Makes me wonder why they don't mandate aptitude tests for teachers as well. It takes more than a degree in education to make a good teacher.
There are a few more things I remembered that I did not like about my childhood but those are not appropriate in a public forum. Some "what-ifs" do pop in my head once in a while but suffice to say, they don't matter anymore. Many things that bothered me so much as a kid are trivial and mostly inconsequential. Some of the things have affected me in some way and are a part of what I am as a person now. Overall, I'm glad to say that "what I liked" will be a whole lot longer than "what I did not like" about my childhood.
Do you have anything that you did not like about your childhood?
Childhood memories are invariably romanticized and rose-hued, especially as we get older. It is the good times that always come to the fore when someone says 'childhood' to me.
But deeper thought (and reading others' posts) brought out quite a few things that I did not like back then. School, for starters. When I was in Kindergarten, my mother had to literally drag me kicking and screaming to school, which was just a block away from our house back then. Every single school day, for two years. My poor Mom! The funny thing was when I met someone recently who used to reside on the same street and the only thing he remembers about me - all that rona, dhona, screaming and screeching! He said I was an alarm clock of sorts for him! :) My parents wisened up and enrolled me in the same school as my elder sister from first grade onwards and all was well since then, at least where packing me off to school was concerned!
I was a tall, thin, gawky, awkward looking kid. I never thought myself ugly though, until I noticed that an uncle of mine who would call my sister, cousins and all my friends "beautiful" or "sweetheart" but just ignore me. It bothered me but I managed to let it slide off me in a few days. It all seems so shallow now.
I had very short hair until 9th standard and I hated it. For the most part, it was a "boy cut" or a bob. My mom would not allow me to grow my hair long. I used to be active in sports and would travel to meets and stuff, so she thought it would be easier to manage. I get it now but since then, I've always worn my hair long, at least shoulder length. I don't want to ever cut my hair that short, I think!
I was never the teacher's pet types. I did pretty well in school but I never really connected much with most teachers. We were 40-50 in a class, so perhaps most did not. I especially remember this teacher from 1st grade, who was not nice at all. She didn't single me out but it did feel that way back then. She always had a ruler in hand and "show me your knuckles" seemed to be her catchphrase. Makes me wonder why they don't mandate aptitude tests for teachers as well. It takes more than a degree in education to make a good teacher.
There are a few more things I remembered that I did not like about my childhood but those are not appropriate in a public forum. Some "what-ifs" do pop in my head once in a while but suffice to say, they don't matter anymore. Many things that bothered me so much as a kid are trivial and mostly inconsequential. Some of the things have affected me in some way and are a part of what I am as a person now. Overall, I'm glad to say that "what I liked" will be a whole lot longer than "what I did not like" about my childhood.
Do you have anything that you did not like about your childhood?
10 comments:
:-)
This project is so interesting ... wish I'd taken part too.
AS a kid many trivial issues were our main concerned...So you were an alarm clock haan ? :-) And that teacher was certainly harsh...Well as a kid I always used to thought my parents love my younger sister more :-p since she was a brilliant student so even at home she used to get hands up for her every little wish..
I would have loved to be tall, thin, gawky and awkward instead of fat, short and awkward.
My problem was quite the opposite - I have always had long hair and wanted to cut it short. Guess the grass truly is greener on the other side.
S - still not late. You can join in the project even now. Please do.. :)
Deepa - The funny thing is I felt that my sister got more attention than me and she thought I got more. I guess we all think that of siblings :)
Sra - the grass and green thing :)
Jay - my sis had the same prob as you. She wanted to cut her hair short and my mom and esp my grandmom would not let her. She did eventually :)
I had a 'show me your knuckles' teacher too, and she was my teacher in 1st, 3rd and 4th standard. Complete nightmare. I guess you read the rest of it on fb !
Have not been able to contribute to the group for the last few weeks. This was so interesting :(
What did I not like ? Maybe not having own siblings. Most of the "not like" happened after I turned twelve though
Arch - Ouch, at least I got chutkara after the first grade. Yup, read your post and that is what reminded me of some things that I posted here. Funny how we forget some things and something someone else said triggers those memories to the minutest details, alva?
San - SO far, I've managed to post every week. I'm amazed at myself :) I think everyone who is a single child growing up feels that way. M used to ask for a baby sister when she was 3 or 4, coz all her friends had a sibling and she was sure she wanted only a girl!
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